This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Implantable or implanted medical devices are often placed sub-dermally in a body of a patient. The implanted medical device can be provided for various purposes, but include implanted infusion devices that include pumps. The pumps in the implanted medical devices infuse a material, such as a functional material or functional fluid into the patient. The pump can be programmed to infuse the functional material at a selected rate, based on a selected physiological sensing, etc. Over a period of time, however, the reservoir in the implanted medical device may empty thus requiring the reservoir to be refilled to continue operation.
Refilling an implanted medical device requires accessing the reservoir of the implanted medical device. Accessing the reservoir, however, may be difficult and require open access to the implanted device. Selected devices include ports through which a needle can be placed. The port can be found through the dermis of the patient by palpation. Also, a Hall Effect sensor can be used to determine the position of the port. Both of these methods, however, can lack the ability to determine the orientation of the refilling system relative to the implanted medical device and the precise location of the port.